Ella woke before her alarm, jolting upright like her mind had yanked her body out of sleep. Her heart thudded in her chest, fast and frustrated. She rubbed her eyes with the heel of her hand, exhaling slowly as she tried to kick out the leftover tension from the night before.
The confrontation with Rita had drained her more than she wanted to admit. Not physically but emotionally. Like she had carried a boulder on her back and finally set it down, only to realize her spine still felt the weight.
She slid out of bed, feet hitting the cold floor, grounding her.
"New day," she whispered.
"Fresh air. No more chaos."
But she didn't believe herself. Not fully.
The house was too quiet when she stepped into the hallway. Not peaceful quiet but alert quiet. The kind that made your instincts tilt forward, waiting for something to shift.
Downstairs, Ben was already in the living room, standing over a table scattered with documents, notes, and printed messages. He looked like the CEO of a crisis, sharp posture, eyes focused, jaw tight enough to cut glass.
"Morning," Ella said softly.
Ben looked up, and the moment his eyes met hers, some of that tension unspooled. "Hey," he breathed. "Did you sleep?"
"Barely."
"Same."
She stepped closer, looking at the papers. "What's all this?"
"Everything we know," Ben said. "Rita's lies, her connections, the things she could still use against us." He tapped a page. "I'm not waiting for her to make another move."
Ella frowned. "Ben, she's cornered. People like Rita don't get bold, they get sloppy."
Ben let out a short, humorless huff. "She's unpredictable. And Jasper, whatever his role is in this, he's methodical. Quiet. That's worse."
Ella's chest tightened.
Jasper.
The silent threat behind the louder mess.
She reached out and rested her hand on Ben's shoulder. "We stay steady. We're on the same page, remember?"
Ben nodded, his expression softening. "Yeah. Together."
For a moment, the world felt steady again. Heavy but steady.
Then his phone buzzed.
Ben grabbed it, glanced at the screen and froze.
Ella instantly leaned in. "What is it?"
"A message," he said carefully. "From an unknown number."
Ella's stomach sank. "Rita?"
"Maybe. But this isn't her style." He handed her the phone. "Read it."
The message was short.
Clean.
Direct.
Almost… corporate.
"You exposed her too early. She's unpredictable now. Control your environment before it implodes. — J"
Ella's breath hitched.
"J," she whispered. "Jasper."
Ben rubbed his forehead. "Why the hell would he message me?"
Ella's voice dropped into something cold. "Because he's not playing for Rita. He's playing for himself."
Ben met her gaze, realization dawning. "He's warning us."
"Not for our benefit," Ella replied. "For his plan."
The silence between them sharpened, tension thickening like storm air.
A knock at the door made Ella flinch.
Ben walked over cautiously and opened it.
A maid stood there, nervous. "Sir… um… someone delivered this for you."
She handed Ben a small envelope. No name. No stamp. Clean handwriting.
Ella felt her palms sweat. "Ben, don't—"
He opened it.
Inside was a single page.
Typed.
Precise.
"If you think last night ended anything, you're mistaken.
Control is an illusion that slips through emotional hands.
Keep yours steady.
She won't."
Ben's jaw clenched. "He's taunting us."
Ella shook her head. "No. He's measuring us."
A slow dread rolled through the room.
Ben set the note down like it was a piece of live wire. "Ella, this isn't just about Rita anymore."
"No," she said quietly. "It's about whoever's standing behind her."
The maid lingered awkwardly. "Um… there's more."
Ben turned. "More?"
She swallowed. "Yes, sir. The guard said the man who delivered it asked him to give you a message."
Ella's pulse spiked. "What message?"
The maid hesitated, then repeated the words with a shaky voice:
"Tell Ben he's reacting too slowly."
Ben's eyes hardened.
Ella's breath stopped.
That wasn't taunting.
Not strategy.
That was surveillance.
Ben dismissed the maid gently, then locked the door.
Ella whispered, "They're watching us."
Ben's voice dropped, steady and dangerous. "Then we tighten the circle. No one gets in. No one gets access. No more information leaks."
Ella folded her arms. "You mean lockdown."
Ben met her eyes. "Exactly."
Ella took a deep breath. "Then we start today."
She wasn't afraid, not anymore.
She was tired, yes.
Exhausted, absolutely.
But done?
Never.
Ben stepped closer, his voice low. "Ella… no matter what Jasper thinks he's building, we're two steps ahead."
She arched a brow. "Are we?"
"We will be," Ben replied. "Because we're not playing his game."
Ella gave a slow, firm nod. "We're making our own."
Their hands brushed, not romantic, not soft—just steady.
A partnership forming under pressure.
Outside, the world moved on like nothing was happening.
Inside, the real battle was already being mapped out.
Fault lines beneath the calm.
Pressure gathering.
And neither Ben nor Ella intended to crack.
Not this time.